Six Big Sky Conference teams appeared in this week’s STATS FCS Top 25 and the FCS Coaches’ Poll again while one poll saw a new team take over the No. 1 spot.
Montana and Montana State were each idle last week and each stayed in the top 10 of the coaches’ poll. Montana moved up one spot to No. 7 in the coaches’ poll while Montana State held at No. 8 in the coaches’ poll. The Griz stayed at No. 8 in the STATS poll while Montana State stayed at No. 11. Montana played at No. 15 Liberty on Saturday.
Eastern Washington, the three-time defending Big Sky champion, is 0-2 for the first time since 2011. The Eagles dropped out of the top 10 in both polls after losses at Oregon (61-42) and at No. 9 Northern Iowa (38-35). The Eagles are No. 14 in the STATS poll, down from No. 7, and No. 15 in the coaches’ poll, also down from No. 7. EWU hosts Montana State this Saturday.
After a season-opening 20-19 upset of Montana in Missoula, Cal Poly hung tough for more than three quarters with Pac 12 power Arizona State before falling 35-21. The Mustangs moved up from No. 20 to No. 18 in the coaches’ poll and from No. 18 to No. 17 in the STATS poll. Cal Poly plays at Northern Iowa on Saturday.
Portland State continued to climb this week after a 34-14 win over No. 23 Idaho State in Pocatello. The Vikings moved from No. 24 to No. 19 in the STATS poll and from unranked to No. 20 in the coaches’ poll. The Vikings have a bye this week.
Northern Arizona’s 2-0 start helped the Lumberjacks break into both polls at No. 24. The Lumberjacks defeated former No. 24 Stephen F. Austin in Week 1 and downed Division II New Mexico Highlands last week.
Jacksonville State ascended to No. 1 in the STATS poll despite a loss in Week 2. The Gamecocks had FBS No. 6 Auburn on the ropes before losing in overtime. For their efforts, the ‘Cocks moved from No. 5 to No. 1 in the STATS poll.
For the second straight week, the voting near the top was tight. Sam Houston State, last week’s No. 1, dropped to No. 3 after having a bye weekend.
The Gamecocks (1-1) earned 39 of the 154 first-place votes and 3,491 points in the national media poll; Coastal Carolina (2-0) moved up one with 36 first-place votes and 3,461 points; Sam Houston State (0-1) collected 38 first-place votes and 3,450 points; and North Dakota State (1-1), the four-time defending FCS champion, fell two spots despite having 23 first-place votes and 3,441 points.
All four teams can make a strong case for No. 1, but the other three haven’t faced Jacksonville State’s schedule to date. The defending Ohio Valley Conference champion opened its season with a road win over nationally ranked Chattanooga, then stayed in the Top 10 – only this time at the FBS level – and held a lead on Auburn in the final minute.
Auburn rallied to tie the game and then won in overtime, 27-20.
In the loss, junior wide receiver Josh Barge set a Jacksonville State school record with 14 receptions, including a touchdown, and senior linebacker Dawson Wells led an inspired defensive effort.
“We felt like we should have won,” Grass told Craig Haley of STATS on Monday. “As far as our performance, the stage wasn’t too big for us. We went out there and we played like we were capable of playing. We were worried all week about how we play, and if we do that every week, this team has a good chance to do some really good things.”
Jacksonville State’s highest ranking previously was No. 2 in 2010. Ironically, the Gamecocks won the 1992 NCAA Division II football championship but never appeared at No. 1 because the last poll was conducted after the regular season.
The most recent OVC team to be ranked No. 1 was Tennessee State in 1999. Jacksonville State will host the Tigers on Saturday for their home opener at Burgess-Snow Field.
Coastal Carolina impressed voters with its 41-14 thrashing of MEAC power South Carolina State. The Chanticleers from the Big South are one of only two Top 10 teams without a loss. Sam Houston State reached No. 1 after playing well in an opening-week loss to Texas Tech from the Big 12. The Bearkats will get back on the field Saturday with its Southland Conference opener against Lamar. North Dakota State defeated Weber State 41-14 at a home opener in which the Bison raised yet another national championship banner. This week, they will face North Dakota for the first time since 2003.
Seven teams received first-place votes, down from 10 a week ago. Illinois State (1-1) gained six first-place votes and the No. 5 ranking, followed by No. 6 Villanova (1-1), which had four first-place votes, and No. 7 South Dakota State (2-0), which gained eight first-place votes.
Northern Iowa (1-1) and Chattanooga (1-1) joined Montana in the top 10.
James Madison (2-0) followed MSU at No. 12, then New Hampshire (1-1), Eastern Washington (0-2), Liberty (1-1), Youngstown State (1-1), Cal Poly (1-1), Fordham (1-1), Portland State (2-0) and Southeastern Louisiana (2-0).
Rounding out the Top 25 were Eastern Kentucky (1-1), Richmond (1-1), Indiana State (1-1), previously unranked Northern Arizona (2-0) and Harvard (0-0), the defending Ivy League champion which kicks off its season this week.
Idaho State was the only team to fall out of the poll, but the addition of Northern Arizona meant the Big Sky Conference still had six teams in the rankings, sharing the national high with the Missouri Valley Conference.
In the coaches’ poll, Coastal Carolina received 14 of 22 first-place votes to retain the top spot. NDSU didn’t get any first-place votes yet held at No. 2, as did Villanova at No. 3. Jacksonville State got five first-place votes to come in at No. 4 in the coaches’ poll. Sam Houston State rounded out the top five.
Illinois State received a first-place vote from the coaches yet fell on espot to No. 6. South Dakota State received the other two first-place votes to move from No. 10 to No. 8. James Madison rounded out the top 10 in the coaches’ poll.
UNI moved from No. 14 to No. 11, followed by Chattanooga, New Hampshire, Liberty, EWU, Youngstown State, Southeastern Louisiana, Cal Poly and Forham to round out the top 20.
